The present invention is in the field of heating element assemblies for electric ranges.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a heating element assembly for a smooth surface ceramic top electric range. Prior art heating assemblies for such ranges included an insulating pod with a recess therein and a helically coiled heating element wrapped in a spiral manner within the recess. The element is attached to the floor of the recess by a suitable adhesive.
Another prior art arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,883, and includes an insulating pod having a recess therein which receives a tubular electric heating element which is shaped to a flat spiral. A metallic support member is formed of strip metal positioned on edge and bent to provide a pair of legs connected by a bite portion.
As is recognized by the patentees of that patent, difficulty has been encountered in the design of an electric heater for use with a ceramic panel because the composition of the latter becomes unstable under excessive heat and discolors or fractures. Attempts have been made to overcome this problem and have met with a certain degree of success. The patentees also recognize that such attempts have resulted in costly assemblies, and attention has been directed by those patentees to utilization of a sheathed, tubular electric heating element providing a flat, spiral heating surface. They also recognize that the tubular electric heating element is relatively expensive, but the low-cost assembly technique offsets the increased cost of the heating element.
Improved heating element assemblies utilizing a nontubular, foil-like, electrical resistance material are disclosed in the copending application of Douglas H. Maake, Ser. No. 599,391, filed July 28, 1975, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,419 to Douglas H. Maake, both assigned to the assignee of this application.